Timeline of UK phone hacking scandal

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Rupert Murdoch is driven away from the High Court in London after giving evidence at the Leveson Inquiry.

Story highlights

Allegations that British newspapers hacked phones caused an international scandal

For a time, the affair looked set to jeopardize Rupert Murdoch's global media empire

It resulted in the closure of the UK's biggest-selling newspaper

Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson found guilty of phone hacking

Accusations that journalists at Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers hacked into the phones of politicians, celebrities and unwitting people caught up in the news -- including child murder victims -- rocked the country and severely bruised his reputation.

The scandal forced the closure of Britain's top-selling paper, the News of the World, resulted in the withdrawal of his bid for the satellite broadcaster BSkyB, and led to criminal charges being laid against former senior News International figures, including his trusted UK chief executive Rebekah Brooks. It also led to a wide-ranging inquiry into press standards by Lord Leveson.

Here is a timeline of the scandal:

November 2005 - News of the World (NoW) prints a story about Britain's Prince William injuring his knee, prompting royal officials to complain to police about probable voicemail hacking.

May 15, 2007 - The Press Complaints Commission says it found no evidence of phone hacking at NoW.

January 2007 - NoW royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire are convicted of conspiracy to hack into phone voicemails of royals and are jailed. Andy Coulson, the paper's editor, insists he is unaware of hacking but still resigns.

July 6, 2011- Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corp., the parent company of News of the World owner News International, promises full cooperation with the investigation and calls the accusations against News of the World "deplorable and unacceptable."

July 14, 2011- The FBI launches an investigation into allegations that News Corp. employees or associates hacked into the phones of 9/11 victims, a federal source says.

July 15, 2011- Brooks resigns as chief executive of News International, as Les Hinton resigns as head of the Dow Jones division of the News Group Corp. and publisher of The Wall Street Journal. He was Brooks' predecessor at News International.

July 16, 2011- Rupert Murdoch apologizes to the British public with full-page advertisements in seven national newspapers.

July 17, 2011 - Brooks is arrested on charges of suspicion of corruption and conspiring to intercept communications. She is released on bail after questioning.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson -- who leads London's police and is the UK's highest-ranking policeman -- resigns. It comes after revelations that former News of the World executive editor Neil Wallis later became a communications consultant for police.

July 18, 2011- Assistant police Commissioner John Yates, who ruled two years ago that there was no reason to pursue an investigation into phone hacking by journalists, resigns.

Home Secretary Theresa May announces that London's police department will be investigated for corruption.

July 19, 2011 - Murdoch, his son James and Brooks testify before Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Colin Myler and Tom Crone, former top executives of News of the World, subsequently accuse James Murdoch of giving "mistaken" evidence.

September 14, 2011 - Dozens of celebrities, including Hugh Grant and J.K. Rowling, are given permission to participate in a top-level inquiry into phone hacking by British journalists.

October 21, 2011- News International agrees to pay £2 million (about U.S. $3.2 million) to the family of Milly Dowler. Also, Murdoch will pay £1 million (about U.S. $1.6 million) to charities chosen by the Dowler family.

October 25, 2011 - In a News Corp. shareholders' vote, Rupert Murdoch's sons, James and Lachlan, lose their board of director seats. Rupert Murdoch retains his seat, though 14% of the vote was against him.

February 29, 2012- James Murdoch gives up his title of executive chairman of News Corp.'s UK publishing unit. He will keep his corporate title as deputy chief operating officer. The company says he will now focus on its pay television businesses and international operations.

March 13, 2012- UK police arrest six people, including Brooks. All six are arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice contrary to the Criminal Law Act 1977.

April 24, 2012- James Murdoch, in testimony before the Leveson Inquiry, says that he knew little about the scale of phone hacking by people working for the News of the World, and that he had no reason to look into illegal eavesdropping by his employees when he took over the company's British newspaper subsidiary in December 2007.

May 1, 2012 - Rupert Murdoch is declared "not a fit person" to run a major international company by MPs from the parliamentary culture, media and sport committee in the group's report into the affair.

May 15, 2012- Brooks and her husband, Charlie Brooks, are charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, along with four others involved in the case. The couple deny the charges, the first from the multiple investigations linked to alleged phone hacking to be announced.

July 24, 2012 - The UK's Crown Prosecution Service says eight people will face a total of 19 charges relating to phone hacking: Former News of the World staff Brooks, Coulson, Greg Miskiw, Stuart Kuttner, Thurlbeck, Ian Edmondson and Weatherup are accused of conspiring to intercept communications, while private investigator Mulcaire faces other charges. The accused deny the charges.

September 4, 2012 - The number of likely victims jumps to more than 1,000 people, according to the top police officer working on the case.

November 20, 2012 - Britain's Crown Prosecution Service announces that Rebekah Brooks will be charged with conspiracy over alleged illegal payments to a Ministry of Defence employee. In a separate case, Andy Coulson will face charges of conspiring to make illegal payments to officials for information relating to the royal family.

November 29, 2012 - Judge Brian Leveson recommends that the UK news industry create its own regulatory body. He states that Parliament will not create a body to "regulate the press."

February 8, 2013 - News International settles 144 lawsuits related to phone hacking. Seven cases were not settled and are scheduled to go to trial in June.

March 18, 2013 - Siobhain McDonagh, Labour Party MP, accepts "very substantial damages" and an apology from The Sun for accessing text messages from her stolen cell phone.

June 18, 2013 - Eunice Huthart, Angelina Jolie's stunt double, sues News Corp. for possible phone hacking. This is the first United States law suit against News Corp.

October 28, 2013 - The trial of Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson and former NoW managing editor Stuart Kuttner begins at the Old Bailey in central London. All are accused of conspiring between October 2000 and August 2006 "to intercept communications in the course of their transmission, without lawful authority." They deny the charges.

October 30, 2013 - It is revealed that former News of the World employees Neville Thurlbeck, James Weatherup and Greg Miskiw have pleaded guilty to phone hacking.

January 31, 2014 - Actress Sienna Miller testifies regarding the alleged affair with Daniel Craig, which is exposed by a tabloid journalist who hacked Craig's voicemail.

February 20, 2014 - The day Rebekah Brooks is to take the stand for the first time, the judge formally clears her of one charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office, in association with a photograph of Prince William dressed in a bikini at a costume party that was acquired by The Sun newspaper. The four other counts against Brooks still stand.

February 25, 2014 - Rebekah Brooks denies in court ever having approved the practice of phone hacking while editor of News of the World.

June 24, 2014 - Andy Coulson is found guilty at the Old Bailey of conspiracy to hack phones. The jury is still considering additional charges against him and former royal editor Clive Goodman of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office. Rebekah Brooks and the other defendants are cleared of all charges.